Marsee, Tiedemann earn Week 1 Fall League honors
Jakob Marsee and Ricky Tiedemann were excellent out of the gate in the Arizona Fall League, earning them accolades for their performances in the first week.
Marsee, the Padres' No. 12 prospect, was named the AFL’s Hitter of the Week, and Tiedemann, the Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect (MLB No. 31), was named Pitcher of the Week.
Marsee off to hot start at plate
Jakob Marsee showcased his hitting ability during the 2023 Minor League season, but he has been on another level in Arizona.
The outfielder racked up 12 hits in five games, putting together a .571/.630/1.095 slash line for the Peoria Javelinas over the week, which included a two-homer performance on Thursday.
“I’ve never hit two home runs in a game before. First time ever,” the 2022 sixth-round pick told MLB.com after his big night. “I knew the second one was gone, but the first one, I actually thought it hit the fence and was in play, so I started hustling there.”
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Marsee slashed .274/.413/.428 across High-A and Double-A in the regular season, tallying 16 homers in 129 games. But he doesn't go to the plate looking to put a ball in the seats.
“I’m just trying to go up there and hit a line drive up the middle,” Marsee said.
Tiedemann dominates in his first start
The 21-year-old left-hander made the most of his lone start of the week, striking out seven batters and allowing one run on three hits and three walks across five innings in his AFL debut with the Surprise Saguaros.
Although Tiedemann found himself pitching with some traffic on the bases, it didn’t seem to faze MLB's second-ranked left-handed pitching prospect.
“I mean, it's going to happen when you play at the highest level, the guys are gonna get on regardless of what you do,” Tiedemann told MLB.com. “So I think it's what you do with that, and I think the times that I let guys on today, I showed a good amount of poise when I was out there. So I'm happy with it.”
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Tiedemann, a third-round pick in 2021, reached Triple-A for one start at the end of the 2023 season. Having missed time due to a biceps injury in May, he has an opportunity to add more innings in the AFL, and he shined in his first outing.
“I felt really good in my first week, meeting the new guys and getting comfortable, it gave me a little juice going into my first outing. I’ve found a routine here by being around all of these guys,” Tiedemann said after receiving the Pitcher of the Week honors.